Tour de France: "We don't know if a cluster is forming", the concern of the manager of Cofidis

The shadow of the Covid-19 is becoming a little more threatening on the Tour de France every day.

On Sunday morning, Frenchman Guillaume Martin added his name to the list of riders forced to retire after testing positive.

Cédric Vasseur, the manager of the Cofidis team, that of the climber, does not hide his concern vis-à-vis a possible resurgence of contamination among the 165 runners still in the running.

What happened with Guillaume Martin?

CEDRIC VASSEUR.

The doctor gave him an antigen test yesterday (Saturday) because he had been complaining of a sore throat since Friday.

He thought it was angina.

When we had the positive result, we carried out a second one which was also positive.

We therefore contacted ASO and the race management as well as the medical director of the UCI.

It was agreed to do a rapid test this Sunday morning, which came back positive.

We received the contagion index at the end of the morning.

This one leads us to believe that he is in the initial phase of Covid and that his contagion rate will increase.

Guillaume represents a danger for the rest of the peloton, for his teammates, and for the staff.

In a collegial manner, it was decided that he would be non-starter.

What have you put in place within the Cofidis team to fight against the Covid?

We have infrared devices in each runner's room, in the catering area and on the bus.

This helps to ensure that the virus does not spread in these places.

But in the peloton… The rider does not have an infrared device on the frame… The other riders in the team have been tested.

Pierre-Luc Périchon, his roommate, was placed in solitary confinement on Saturday evening.

We have spare rooms.

Everyone was negative.

This Sunday evening, we have to redo a test imposed by ASO, like the other teams.

I hope these tests will still be negative.

On Saturday, there had already been two runners who did not start because of the Covid.

We must be extra vigilant and on the organizational side it is a question of taking slightly stricter measures to fight against the virus and protect the runners.

The Tour is still long.

There are two weeks left.

Read alsoCovid-19 hit earlier than expected and it could turn everything upside down

For example, should the paddock where the buses are parked be closed?

We are all with the masks, we all respect the protocol.

This is not enough to prevent runners from contracting the virus.

This is the first time since the start of the pandemic that Guillaume Martin has caught it.

He is always very very vigilant.

He is very serious.

It is unclear how it was contaminated.

With the droplets in the peloton, otherwise… The tests on the whole peloton will be very important.

Because for the time being, we do not know if these are isolated cases or if a cluster is forming.

Do you regret that there have not been more restrictive measures since the start of the Tour?

We cannot do more than what we are already doing, between wearing a mask, testing, barrier gestures.

The concern is that outside of this Tour de France bubble, no one wears a mask… In stations, airports… We are proof that no one is immune to a positive test.

Leader, team member… We saw it with the Tour de Suisse, as long as we are not in Paris, the Tour will not be won for anyone.

Guillaume Martin said he had good feelings.

Isn't it too radical to exclude it?

We don't really control the post-covid effects.

In talking with Xavier Bigard, the UCI's medical manager, he assumes that a runner who forces himself while he has Covid can take months to recover and regain good feelings.

We see in the peloton that some do not have their usual level.

What interests us is that Guillaume can get back on a bike quickly and regain his competitiveness.

A Tour de France with the Covid is not compatible with this objective.

To let him continue would have been to put him at risk.